Reducing Sodium, Boosting Flavor

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends lowering daily sodium intake over time from 2,300 mg sodium to 1,500 mg. As a result, product and menu developers continue to seek sodium-reduction solutions that dont diminish flavor. Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc. has introduced two products designed to help formulators achieve these goals.

Kikkoman NFE (Natural Flavor Enhancer)available as a liquid (NFE-L) or powder (NFE-P, NFE-PY)amplifies flavors while increasing the salty perception in foods. This savory flavor enhancer has neutral taste, low color and a strong umami punch. Kikkoman NFE is a clean-label alternative to MSG, HVP, I+G or AYE.

Kikkoman NFE has a clean label in that it is produced naturally via a USDA-listed minimal process (fermentation) and has no artificial ingredients," says Joe Leslie, national industrial sales and marketing manager. NFE is a new type of soy sauce that was developed specifically to have high umami flavor without the soy sauce taste. This makes it perfect for non-Asian products. The ingredients for each NFE item are slightly different:

  Kikkoman NFE-L: water, soybeans, wheat, salt, alcohol;

  Kikkoman NFE-P: soy sauce, maltodextrin;

  Kikkoman NFE-PY: dehydrated soy sauce, yeast extract.

The added ingredients (alcohol, maltodextrin, yeast extract) are naturally produced," notes Leslie. For example, the maltodextrin is enzymatically hydrolyzed, the yeast extract is not autolyzed."

Leslie notes that Kikkoman NFE adds a flavor boost to soups, dressings, sauces, cheese products, meats, breads, crackers, snacks, seafood, etc., and contributes brightness and balance" to reduced-sodium foods. He reports customer taste tests have consistently discovered that reduced-sodium foods using Kikkoman NFE are preferred over the original full-salt version.

Leslie notes that Kikkoman NFE-P helped one customer reduce the sodium in a frozen fettuccini Alfredo with chicken from 690 mg to 400 mg per serving. Another customer, using Kikkoman NFE-PY, cut the sodium in a shelf-stable cheese sauce from 490 mg to 285 mg per serving.

Suggested use levels for Kikkoman NFE range from 0.5% to 2.0%, and Kikkoman can help customers pinpoint the best level for specific applications.

For foods where the notable flavor of soy sauce is an asset, Kikkoman PTN Less Sodium Soy Sauce, a tamari-style soy sauce, features high-impact soy-sauce flavor with reduced sodium 45% less sodium than regular PTN Soy Sauce (3,180 mg sodium per 100 grams of soy sauce compared to 5,770 mg sodium in the regular Kikkoman PTN Soy Sauce). After fermentation, Kikkoman employs a process that removes salt, but maintains a strong, balanced flavor, high in amino acids.

Because of Kikkoman PTN Less Sodium Soy Sauces concentrated flavor, it should be used at levels 20% to 25% below regular soy sauces," says Leslie, noting it helped one customer cut the sodium in an Asian salad dressing from 350 mg sodium per serving to 220 mg.

The Kikkoman NFE and PTN lines are kosher, all-natural and made in the United States.

Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc.

50 California Street, Suite 3600

San Francisco, CA 94142-0784

Phone: 415/956-7750

Fax: 415/391-1842

Website: kikkomanusa.com